Prioritizing green technologies is a difficult challenge. Boston Herald offers some advice for manufactures, retailers, energy providers and financial institutions with respect to their sustainability initiatives.
Manufacturers:
Consider sustainability across choice of material, sourcing, resource consumption, emissions, and product-life cycle management. Manufacturers should focus on IT resources that can support a sustainability program.
Retailers:
Financial benefits can be achieved by identifying the most efficient utilization of IT resources and near-term opportunities for cost reduction. POS system management, automated power control management and alternative energy usage can all help stores become more energy efficient.
Energy Providers:
Start by understanding the source of the company's carbon footprint and use it to set a baseline to measure reduction progress. Role-based access to data, analytic tools and dashboards to help employees achieve corporate carbon management goals are a must.
Financial Institutions:
Should assess the impact of green products or investments and make it an internally driven effort to move an institution towards a more sustainable and profitable condition. Institutions should also consider how their key suppliers contribute to the effectiveness of its green initiatives.
